Clinical Outcomes in Spine Surgery
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The graph compares the average pain levels reported by our patients with Low Back Pain or Neck Pain before and after surgery.
This data was collected from November 2017 to July 2024.
Pain levels were measured using a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means 'no pain' and 10 means 'the worst pain possible.'
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We looked at how low back pain and neck pain affected our patients' ability to carry out daily activities. To do this, we used a tool called the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), which is a 10-question survey. This survey asks patients how their pain impacts things like walking, sitting, standing, and lifting.
The graph shows how our patients' ability to function improved after their surgery. We collected this data between April 2017 and July 2024. The results are shown on a scale from 0% to 100%, where 0% means no disability and 100% means complete disability.
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A common question patients have after spine surgery is how soon they can go back to work. Research shows that patients with physically demanding jobs typically return to work after about 5 months, while those with lighter jobs take around 3.2 months. Specifically, for lumbar spine fusions, the average return-to-work time is between 6.1 to 10.9 months.
The graph below shows our data from Northwest Surgery Center, collected from January 2015 to July 2024. The experience in our center reveals significantly faster return to work times than data reported in other studies. In fact, about 70% of our patients are back at work in less than 3 months after their surgery.
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After surgery, infections can happen, especially with spine fusion surgery, where the infection rate is about 10%, according to a report from Washington State's SCOAP-CERTAIN collaborative. These infections can lead to longer hospital stays, adding about 9-10 days to recovery. To minimize the risk of infections, we take extra care before, during, and after surgery. Based on the data we have diligently collected since 2014, along with our commitment to patient safety and infection prevention, we have achieved an infection rate of just 1%.
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Patients who have surgery at an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) usually recover at home after being discharged. We carefully select which procedures are suitable for an ASC based on each patient's health and the complexity of the surgery. While it’s possible for patients to need to go to the hospital or emergency room soon after surgery, this doesn’t happen often. Since 2014, none of our patients at Northwest Surgery Center have needed to be transferred to a hospital or visited the emergency room within a day of going home. In contrast, the national rate for ASCs is 1.1 transfers per 1,000 discharged patients each year. This shows that our patients can safely recover at home after their outpatient procedures as planned.